Beautiful view of pines. Coniferous plants: classes, types of coniferous trees. Do you need Japanese in the garden

Scotch pine Photo: Maxim Minin

evergreen conifers, rarely shrubs, with whorled branches;
crowns are diverse in shape, with age they become openwork, ovate-blunt or umbrella-shaped;
the bark is smooth, bright when young, becoming thick, fissured, dark gray or brownish with age;
placement of needles, cones and their size are systematic features;
the needles are located on short shoots in bunches of 2-3 or 5, needle-shaped, prickly, hard, with a wrapper of scaly lower leaves, functions in different types from 2 to 11 years old, dies off, mainly at the end of summer - in the fall and falls in bunches with targets along with the wrapper;
the length of the needles in different species is from 2 to 30 and even up to 45 cm;
all species are monoecious, but in some cases they can show dioeciousness;
pollination occurs with the help of the wind before the blooming of young needles; a huge amount of pollen is produced;
cones can be ovoid, almost spherical or cylindrical, small (2-3 cm long) or very large in certain types(up to 35 cm);
seeds in some species are winged, fall out of mature cones; in other species, the cones fall off along with the seeds, the wing of the seed is reduced, the peel is turned into a dense shell, which gives the seed the appearance of a nut;
seeds ripen in the second year after pollination

Distributed in temperate forests and mountainous areas of the subtropical zone of the Northern Hemisphere. In Russia, 9 species of pines naturally grow, and more than 50 species of exotic pines are cultivated. Many species reach large sizes - over 50 m in height and 2-4 m in trunk diameter. For the most part, all species are photophilous, undemanding to soil and moisture, but very sensitive to smoke and gases, they do not tolerate urban conditions well. They have a powerful deep root system, therefore they are used (especially in Russia Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) when creating field-protective forest belts, strengthening moving sands, afforesting the banks of rivers and ravines. Pine trees are generally fast-growing and long-lived trees. Representatives of many species live 350-500 years, and growing in the USA spiny pine, or long-lived pine (Pinus longaeva) is a record holder - its age can be over 5000, and according to some sources, even 9000 years. All species are of great biosphere-protective importance, they are the most valuable coniferous forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Pines have long been used in ornamental gardening, where they are valued for their beautiful crown shape, the unique charm of slender, bright trunks, the variety of shapes and colors of needles and cones. Some types - siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) and Korean pine (Pinus coraiensis) are nut plants that produce edible, rich in tasty and nutritious oil (up to 60%) seeds - pine nuts. Pine forests contain a large number of mushrooms and berries, many species of game animals and birds live. In cedar forests, thickets cedar dwarf (Pinus pumila) there is a valuable fur-bearing animal - sable. The economic importance of pine wood is very great. Recycling resin and stumps gives turpentine, rosin, tar and charcoal, and needles - vitamin C and essential oil. All parts of a tree, from buds and needles to stump and roots, are the most valuable industrial raw materials.

Types and decorative varieties of pines

Among the coniferous trees known from childhood to most Russians, pines occupy a special place. One hundred species that make up the genus pine (Pinus), widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Few species grow in the tropical zone.

These are evergreen monoecious trees. The leaves are needle-shaped, sitting in 2-5 pieces. Male spikelets (microstrobili) are located at the base of the shoots of a given year in the axils of scaly leaves. Each spikelet consists of spirally arranged scaly stamens, bearing 2 anthers on the underside. Female cones (megastrobili) are collected in complex cones, which have an axis with numerous pairs of scales sitting on it. Female cones mature every 2-3 years. Pollination occurs when the young needles bloom.

The pearl of the Russian forest is the familiar Scotch pine (Pinus silvestris L.) belonging to the group of two-leaved pines. Buds appear in the spring, and ripen in the fall of the following year. The maximum age of a pine is 400-600 years. But up to such advanced years, Scotch pine survives under favorable conditions: sufficient illumination, light sandy or sandy loamy soils. It tolerates frost, excess or lack of moisture, puts up with peat soils.

In many species of pines, including Scots pine, cultivated in the conditions of Central Russia, undersized and dwarf varieties (cultivars) have been bred. Scotch pine ’Watereri’ – variety, the height of which reaches 4-5 m with the same crown diameter. This cultivar grows slowly. The needles are bluish-gray, thin, hard, short, only 4 cm. The needles are located in 2 pieces. This variety winters well, but in the winter of 2009-2010, when the greatest negative anomaly was observed (in January, 7ºС below the norm), needles and individual branches froze in young specimens.

'Globosa viridis' is a dwarf common form (1 - 1.5 m tall). The crown is rounded or ovoid, dense. The branches are dense, reaching to the ground. The needles are long, up to 10 cm long and 2 mm wide, hard, dark green. Young needles appear in late summer and close the winter buds. Tolerates frost well. Recommended for rocky and heather gardens. Form "Golg Coin" reaches a height of 0.6 m and has beautiful bright yellow needles.

From the northeast North America in 1705, the Weymouth pine was introduced into the culture of Europe (Pinus strobus) . In nature, this is a large tree up to 40 m. The appearance of this amazing pine cannot but charm. Everything is elegant in it: both thin long (up to 15 cm) gray-green needles, located in bunches of 5 pieces, and light brown curved cones, and an openwork crown. It has shade tolerance, unpretentiousness to soils, unusual for other pines, fast growth and frost resistance, which makes this species quite suitable for cultivation in the conditions of Central Russia. Agronomists have discovered its ennobling effect on the soil. Abundantly falling needles, which rot very quickly, constantly enrich the top layer with humus.

The ornamental variety "Himmelblay" is similar in height and growth rate to the species, but differs in the intense blue color of the needles. For small gardens miniature forms are recommended. Weymouth pine 'Radiata' is the most commonly found in cultivation. This is a short form with a dense spherical crown up to 1.5 m in diameter.

The decorative form "Pumila" does not exceed 1 m in height. The "Macopin" form is a shrub with a rounded or conical crown up to 1.5 m in diameter; "Bereviana" - 1.5m; "Nana" - with silvery blue-green needles - 1.2 m.

The smallest form - "Secret" has a height of 0.5 m. The needles of all these forms are thin, gray-blue, collected in 5 pieces. Like the original species, these forms are less demanding on light than other types of pines, and are also resistant to smoke and gases in urban environments, winter-hardy.

Another North American species, whose range extends from the forests of Canada to the sandy plains and hills of Vermont and Maine (USA) is the Banks pine (Pinus banksiana), the northernmost and most widespread of the North American pines. In the western part of the range, on poor sandy soil, it forms extensive forests. This tree is up to 25 m in height, is distinguished by a trunk branched almost from the base, a compact, densely branched (albeit transparent crown), rapid growth in youth, slowing down after 30 years, and is considered the slowest growing of North American pines. Its short (2-4 cm) needles are also unusual - light green, strongly curved, it is also twisted along the axis. Her cones are also strange, strongly oblique, curved, remaining closed on the branches for many years. Apparently, due to this, the seeds remain viable for a long time. Little demanding on soil conditions, can grow on poor sandy soils, tolerates slight salinity, drought-resistant. In our climate, this species winters without damage.

On the island of Ryukyu in Japan grows densely flowered pine, or funerary (Pinus densiflora), there it bears the poetic name akamitsu, since ancient times it has been used to create Japanese gardens, and is also grown in the bonsai style. In nature, it has a height of 30 m and a wide spreading crown, "densely colored" is named because of the formation of large clusters of cones. In culture, this species and its forms are demanding on air and soil moisture (although they develop well on sandy and sandy soils), and are photophilous.

In the conditions of frosty winters in Central Russia, they can withstand temperatures down to -34ºС, but they cannot tolerate prolonged freezing of the soil, and they die in places open to winds. Possess low resistance to urban conditions. The 'Aurea' form forms a small upright tree with greenish-yellow needles. In winter, the colder, the more intense the color of the needles, to a bright golden color. The original form of "Golden Ghost" has light green needles in winter, which turn bright yellow with green edges in spring. mature plant This form is 1.8 m high and 1.2 m wide. An unusual umbellate crown has a rare dwarf form "Umbraculifera-Compacta", at the age of 10 years it reaches a height of 1.6 m. The dwarf decorative form "Jane Kluis" has a spherical crown shape, very stiff branches and dense needles.

It is better to plant this species and decorative forms in places protected from the wind. For the winter, the trunk circle should be mulched sawdust and in the first year of planting, cover with spruce branches.

Pine from Southern and Central Europe is much more often found on sale - mountain pine (Pinus mugo). In the Carpathians, it forms crooked forests on slopes up to 2500 m above sea level and subalpine swamps above the border of coniferous forests. In nature, it can be a tree up to 10 m high, in the lower mountain belt it occurs in the form of a bush up to 4 m in height, in the upper one - ground cover creeping forms not exceeding 0.4 m in height. In horticulture, two varieties are most widely used: var.mugus and var.pumilio, the first of which is a dense creeping shrub that forms curtains 0.7-1.5 m high, which has become the starting point for decorative forms with long (up to 12 cm) needles. Among them, the most famous are the forms with a spherical crown and the size of an adult plant 1.5-2 m in diameter - "Mops" and "Varella" (with the longest needles); "Mini Mops" - 0.6 m; "Ophir" - 0.4 m. The variety "Mugus" reaches 2 m in adulthood with the same crown diameter.

Another variety - var. pumilio- with short needles (up to 3-5 cm) forms dense clumps 0.4-1 m high and has become the starting point for short-coniferous dwarf forms of mountain pine. Form "Gnom" - one of the most popular and oldest varieties of mountain pine (bred in 1890). It has a dense cone-shaped crown, grows slowly, is drought-resistant, not demanding on soils, shade-tolerant, can reach 2 m in height. "Kobold" - 1 m (with thick hard branches). The form "Pumilio" (photo 13) has a cushion-shaped crown - the height of an adult plant is 0.9-1.5 m, and the width is 1.2 - 1.8 m, "Humpy" - 1 m (short shoots, red buds).

Mountain pine is undemanding to soils, can grow on stony soils, tolerates stagnant moisture and stony soils. The mountain pine and its decorative forms are absolutely frost-resistant and are able to endure the extreme conditions of the continental climate of central Russia without damage.

In the Rocky Mountains (from Alberta to Texas) grows flexible pine or California cedar (Pinus flexilis). In nature, this tree is from 6 to 30 m tall, with beautiful bluish-green needles up to 7 cm long. It got its name due to its short but very flexible branches. Very cold-resistant and undemanding to the soil pine. The best soils for it are poor, stony with the addition of sand and lime. Of the decorative forms, the most famous are: the dwarf form "Nana" with short needles up to 3 cm, the undersized form "Tiny Temple" with long needles (6-7 cm). Weeping form - "Pendula" with drooping branches, having a height of up to 2 m.

Huge territories along the Pacific coast in the West of North America, climbing to a height of up to 3600 m, are occupied by lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). This is a low beautiful tree with a spherical crown and short branches. The needles are located 2 pieces in a bunch, 3-7 cm long, hard, dark green, usually twisted. It grows well on light, stony, sandy soils. Its undersized form (var.contorta), 3-10 m tall, grows in swamps, on sand dunes and along the low shores of lakes, is considered a pioneer breed that inhabits wastelands. This species is frost-resistant, unpretentious, quite suitable for the Russian climate.

Common in the mountains of southeastern Europe white pine (Pinus leucodermis) , undemanding to growing conditions, resistant to smoke and dust, soil salinity. In nature, this tree is 8-10 m high, slowly growing, has annual increments of 20-25 cm.

Form "Compact Gem" at the age of 10 years has a height of 0.3-0.8 m, forms a wider crown with an annual growth of 8-15 cm. Another decorative dwarf form "Hemers Japan" with a compact cone-shaped crown is ideal for stony or Japanese garden. Form "Nana" at the age of 10 years does not exceed 2 m. A dwarf decorative form "Atze Saule" is developed, which is extremely rare in coniferous collections, which has a narrow cone-shaped crown, grows very slowly and is an ideal form for growing in small gardens and as bonsai . Pine and decorative forms have an average winter hardiness, so young specimens require shelter for the winter.

Crimean pine me or Pallas (Pinus pallasiana) will surprise with its size of needles, reaching 12-18 cm. The dark gray velvet tree trunk, large shiny brown cones surrounded by a dark green collar of prickly needles and, of course, a picturesque lacy umbrella of a luxurious crown attract attention. As follows from the species name, the birthplace of the Crimean pine is Crimea, more precisely the southern slopes of its mountains up to a height of 1000 m, although this pine is found in the Caucasus, the Balkans, the island of Cyprus and Crete. The soil prefers sandy, rocky and calcareous.

Many people know black pine, or Austrian I (Pinus Nigra) from Central and Southern Europe, as well as the western part of the Balkans. It got its black name because of the color of the trunk with deep furrowed bark. Outwardly, the Austrian pine is similar to the Crimean one, differing from it in shorter needles, almost sessile grayish-brown cones without petioles, which open in the third year and fall off almost immediately after that. At home, black pine grows mainly on calcareous soil and on rocky soils. Drought tolerance and unpretentiousness make this pine a very valuable breed that can be grown on stony soil.

The original decorative dwarf form "Helda" has a dense conical crown, prefers the addition of lime to the soil. Form "Marie Bregeon" at the age of 10 years has a height of only 0.3-0.5 m and a dense semi-circular compact crown, the annual growth is only 2.5 cm; the form "Pygmaea" and "Brepo" reaches the same height. A wide rounded crown and larger sizes (0.9-1.8 m) has the form "Hornibrookiana" with black light green and very prickly needles unusual for pine.

Adult specimens have high frost resistance, are not very demanding on the composition of the soil, and are resistant to air pollution. . In young specimens cold winter the needles and part of the kidneys froze.

One of the most economically valuable tree species, common in the forest zone of Russia, is Siberian cedar pine. (Pinus sibirica) . This is a mighty majestic tree up to 40 m with a lush cone-shaped crown. The main botanical difference between Scots pine and Siberian cedar pine, in addition to the number of needles in a bunch (they have 2 in the common pine, 5 in the Siberian pine), is the cones. In our pine, they are medium-sized, with an unpretentious form of scales, with small winged seeds. In Siberian pine - large, up to 13 cm, light brown. Under their thick scales there are kernels of trihedral nuts, they will ripen only in a year and fall off together with cones in the fall. Pine grows slowly, reaching a height of 3.5 m at the age of 20. It prefers rather fertile, well-drained, fresh, light loamy soils. Pine is characterized by exceptional winter hardiness, withstands frosts down to -45º C.

Korean pine (cedar) also belongs to five-coniferous cedar pines. (Pinus koraiensis), whose homeland is the Far East, China, Japan and Korea. It is one of the most beautiful and majestic types of pine. This is a slender coniferous tree over 40 m tall with a broadly cone-shaped, openwork, dense crown. The branches are strong, prostrate, with rising ends. The needles are large, up to 20 cm long, bluish-green, rather rare, hard. Cones are large, ovoid-elongated, with spectacularly curved ends. In youth it grows slowly, then - quickly. Demanding on soils, prefers fertile, fresh, but not waterlogged soil. Shade-tolerant, but becomes photophilous with age. Winter-hardy. Stable in the city.

Among slow-growing forms with pyramidal crowns, with an annual growth of 8-15 cm, reaching 0.9-1.5 m in height at the age of 10, the "Silveray" form stands out with long needles of a silver-blue hue. Close to it form "Glauca" (photo 18) forms a crown with upward directed branches, and the form "Anna" has a wide-oval shape of the crown. Dwarf growth in the "Winton" form.

In the upper mountain belt in Eastern Siberia, China, Korea, Japan grows cedar dwarf pine, or cedar elfin (Pinus pumila) , most often in the form of a small creeping tree or shrub up to 4-5 m high. This is one of recognized leaders on frost resistance among conifers. A characteristic ecological feature of the elfin is its ability to bend down to the ground with the onset of cold weather. So he successfully endures harsh winters under the snow in his natural habitat. Young shoots are greenish, in the second year of life they are gray-brown, short, with reddish pubescence. The needles are gray or bluish-green, 5 needles each, very densely spaced, up to 10 cm long. An additional decoration of the elfin tree is cones, purple-violet young, ripe - reddish or yellowish-brown. They mature in their second year. Species plants reach their maximum size for a very long time. Ornamental forms, especially dwarf ones, grow even more slowly.

Cedar elfin is undemanding to soils, grows well even on the poorest, stony, sandy ones. Brings out partial shade. Does not require special care, is not subject to serious diseases and pests.

Breeders managed to select several cultivars with a compact crown and bluish-blue needles, the most common of which are "Glauca" - 0.6 m in height, "Globosa" - up to 1.5 m.

(Pinus peuce) comes from the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula. This is a low tree with a narrow pyramidal crown, starting almost from the ground. Its very beautiful long (up to 10 cm) dark green needles, located at the ends of the branches by 5 and pointing upwards. In spring, numerous yellow candles of male spikelets adorn the pine tree, at the end of May they become dusty. And when light brown cones grow on the apical shoots, the tree appears in all its glory. In terms of the totality of its positive characteristics, it surpasses the widely used Weymouth pines and cedars. Rumeli pine practically does not lose the lower branches. It is as winter-hardy as cedar pines (down to -45ºС), but not as capricious in cultivation, and grows much better on our heavy clays.

Common types:

	A highly ornamental species from China with long thin needles, which begins to bear fruit even in youth, has edible, oil-rich seeds. Few winter-hardy, suitable for the warmest southern regions, but not tested.
	Winter-hardy multi-stemmed species from the East of North America. It has short twisted light green needles and curved buds. Unpretentious, grows well even on poor sandy soils. Found only in botanical gardens, bred in European countries, promising for the forest-steppe zone.
	One of the largest, most beautiful and economically significant pines in North America. Differs in long, thin and soft bluish-green needles, elongated, slightly curved, cones. Highly winter-hardy, very undemanding, but not suitable for urban landscaping. It is especially good in a single planting and as part of tree and shrub groups.
	View from the Balkans and Southern Italy. It has very beautiful light green long needles. It is unpretentious, stable in urban conditions, but not winter-hardy enough in the middle lane, more suitable for the south, although dwarf varieties with winter shelter can be grown.
	It grows in the mountains of Central and Southern Europe in the form of a large strongly branched tree or prostrate elfin. Unpretentious, plastic to soil and urban conditions. For landscape design, a wide variety of compact and dense decorative forms are of interest, suitable for compositions, rocky gardens, slopes and banks of reservoirs.
	A beautiful North American pine similar to the Weymouth pine but with shorter needles and large curved buds. It is thermophilic, grows in the Crimea, but suffers from drought and sea winds.
	"Red Japanese pine", which has sufficient winter hardiness for cultivation in central Russia, but is not resistant to prolonged freezing of the soil. It has long needles crowded at the ends of the branches, it smells during dusting. Grows on poor sandy soils, but not in urban environments.
	AT natural conditions North America is a majestic tree with a narrow conical openwork crown, long needles and thick beautiful bark. In central Russia, it does not exceed 10 m, it freezes in severe winters. Requires a protected location, so it is best to plant it in groups. It tolerates urban conditions well. View, the most promising for the western and southern regions.
	European species, close to Siberian pine, from which it differs in smaller growth, more spreading crown, longer and thinner needles and smaller cones and seeds. More durable, grows slower. Little is used in garden and park construction, although it deserves widespread use in single and group plantings.
	A rare Far Eastern species, in decorativeness it can compete with the Siberian cedar pine. It has a less dense crown, bluish-green needles, decorative cones and edible seeds. In Moscow, it is moderately hardy, grows into a small tree. beautiful plant for coniferous groups.
	One of the most valuable tree species common in the forest zone of Russia. A powerful tree with a dense ovoid crown, often multi-topped, very decorative in single and group plantings. Highly winter-hardy, grows to the permafrost zone. The needles have phytoncidal properties, the nut seeds are edible and have a high content of fatty oil.
	In the nature of Western Siberia and the Far East, a low tree of dwarf or bushy form, capable of rooting with branches pressed to the ground and forming impenetrable thickets. Decorative with thin bluish-green needles, intense red male spikelets, red-purple cones.
	Japanese pine, named white for the bright white or bluish stomatal stripes on the needles, clearly visible due to its twist. In central Russia, it grows slowly and is not winter-hardy enough; only dwarf forms can be grown. It grows well and bears fruit abundantly on the Black Sea coast.
	One of the longest and ornamental pines native to the Mexican mountains. It is thermophilic, needs a humid climate, suitable for growing in the Crimea, where it bears fruit, but forms empty seeds. Virtually unaffected by pests and diseases.
	The most common woody plant in Europe. It can tolerate both the harsh climate of the north and the hot climate of the steppes. It is the main breed in the creation of forests on the sands. But urban conditions do not tolerate well. Landscape designers valued for fast growth, unpretentiousness and a variety of decorative forms.
	A rare species of pine from North America. Grows in the form small tree or shrub with ascending branches, quite winter-hardy in the middle lane, especially its varieties. It has a spreading crown, dense needles and cones with long spines. Undemanding to soils.
	Pine from the Balkans, reminiscent of the Weymouth pine and able to compete with it for decorativeness and greater winter hardiness. It has a dense narrow pyramidal crown, long dark green needles and narrow-cylindrical cones that remain on the branches for a long time. Quite unpretentious to the location and soil, beautifully combined with bright shrubs.
	North American species, named for twisted paired needles. It grows slowly, comes into fruiting late. In central Russia, it is quite winter-hardy. It can grow as a tree or bushy. It is unpretentious to soils, takes out both dry, and marshy. Resistant to urban conditions.
	Japanese rare species, decorative close to black pine (Austrian), has a rather long stiff needles. Winter hardiness is low, it allows you to grow a plant only south of Sochi, but there are forms of greater winter hardiness, up to -28 degrees. Plants are rare.
	One of the most beautiful long-leaved pines comes from the Himalayas, Tibet. It has a slightly hanging grayish-green needles, it grows quickly. Winter hardiness is low, the plant is suitable for growing in the humid zones of the Crimea, where it bears fruit and produces full-fledged seeds.
	Wildly grows in the mountains of Central Europe. A very decorative and promising breed, stable in the conditions of the city. Due to the dense foliation and dark color of the trunk, it creates darker and shady plantations than Scots pine. It is more suitable for the extreme west, the south of the steppe zone of the North Caucasus, but it can also be grown to the north, especially dwarf decorative forms.

Botanical name: Scotch pine (Pinus silvestris)

Homeland: Siberia, Ural, Europe

Lighting: photophilous

The soil: sandy, sandy

Max Height: 40 m

Average life expectancy: 200 years

Reproduction: seeds, grafting

Synonym - Scotch pine

Description of Scots pine

The pine tree is one of the most valuable in our country. Reaching 35-40 m in height, it belongs to the trees of the first magnitude. The circumference of the trunk reaches 1 m. It is covered with reddish-brown, with grooves, exfoliating bark. At the base of the trunk, the bark is much thicker than the one at the top. Such an "idea" of nature has a protective function, protecting the tree from overheating and ground fire. In pines that grow in closed forest stands, the trunk is more slender with an openwork crown. While the tree is young, the crown has a conical shape. With age, it rounds, becomes wider, and in old age it acquires a flat or umbrella-shaped shape. Pine needles have a bluish-green color. It is quite dense, often sticking out, curved, collected in bunches of 2 needles. Length 4-7 cm. The needles are pointed, slightly flattened, have a thin longitudinal stripe. Needles live 3 years. In autumn, more often in September, part of the needles fall off. Before this, the needles turn yellow, from which the crown looks mottled.

Cones are located singly or in 2-3 pieces on the legs lowered down. The immature cone is conical in shape and dark green in color. Sometimes a brownish tinge may be present. Pine cones ripen in the second year. Ripe buds become brown or brown. The length is 3-6 cm, the width is 2-3 cm.

Pine is a coniferous tree that prepares for the winter period in a peculiar way. After all, evaporation at a "minus" temperature is detrimental to the plant, at the same time, the needles remained on the branches. The plant copes with this quite simply: with the onset of cold weather, a thin layer of wax falls on the needles, the stomata close, therefore, breathing stops.

coniferous plant pine

Scotch pine forms a number of forms that differ in crown structure, color and shape of cones. Meet with a weeping and pyramidal crown. The color of the needles in young shoots can be golden, whitish or silver. The bark is found scaly or lamellar.

The pine plant has a wide range, which extends to different, from an ecological point of view, areas, so the species is characterized large quantity ecotypes. To date, more than 30 such ecotypes have been identified by ecologists. For example, the Angarsk pine growing in the river basin. Angara is an ecotype of Scots pine. The study and observation of Scotch pine seedlings of different origin grown under the same conditions shows the difference in plants in the ability to drought and cold resistance, to growth, and resistance. Also, these plants may differ in morphological features, such as: the shape of the crown, the length of the needles, the structure of the trunk, etc. However, all these features are prone to change and are not used to distinguish the species.

Characteristics of Scots pine

growing in adverse conditions, for example, in a swamp, Scotch pine may remain a dwarf. Moreover, even century-old specimens may not exceed 1 m in height. Pine - photophilous plant frost and heat resistant. Of all the representatives of tree species growing on sandy soils, Scotch pine is the most resistant to lack of moisture. Under such conditions, the roots are able to penetrate the soil to a depth of 6 m. Therefore, even in drought conditions, they can supply the tree with water. This ability of plants determined the different root system of different populations. In arid areas, a tap root develops well in a tree, and in conditions of close occurrence of groundwater, root system It is formed mainly by lateral roots branching in all directions.

The average life expectancy of pines is about 200 years. Individual specimens, under favorable conditions, live up to 400 years.

They grow quickly, especially a significant increase from a year to 100 years - 50-70 cm. According to this indicator, this representative of conifers is second only to larch. Begins to bear fruit at the age of 15. In conditions of dense planting - from 40 years. Abundant harvests, as a rule, can be repeated after 4-7 years.

It grows well on sandy and sandy soils. It is extremely rare in the steppe southern regions. Therefore, in recent times Scotch pine is often planted in shelterbelts along the slopes of ravines, on sands, in steppe ravines.

Very often you can find information that pine is a dioecious plant. This is a mistake, in fact, this is a monoecious plant, that is, with a predominance of flowers, either male or female. Thus, on one tree, female flowers are predominantly contained, and on the other, male inflorescences predominate. Female flowers are located at the ends of the shoots and have the shape of a small cone. And the male ones are near the base of the shoot. It is believed that the predominance of inflorescences of a certain sex is a hereditary factor. But it turns out that depending on the conditions in which the tree grows, its “sex” can change.

Scotch pine blooms at the end of May, when the air temperature is already high. Pollination occurs due to the wind. Fertilization itself will come only next year. During the pollination period, a yellow coating can be seen on the trees. This is pine pollen. By and large, the pine plant is distinguished by good pollination. This is possible due to the air sacs that pine pollen has, with the help of which it is carried by the wind over long distances. Pollination time varies depending on the weather. In clear sunny weather, pollen can scatter in 3-4 days. In the rain, this process is delayed.

How is a pine tree different?

The wood of common pine is dense, sound, containing a lot of tree resin. Young plantings are characterized by straight-grained wood, which over the years becomes oblique. The density of wood and its mechanical properties, which are important in construction, depend on a number of factors, in particular: soil moisture. So, pine growing on dry soil has a denser and more resistant to damage wood. Conversely, a plant that has grown in well-moistened soil has wood with low mechanical characteristics.

This breed is well propagated by seeds. This requires good soil and plenty of sun. It is best to transplant seedlings at the age of 3-7 years.

Pine does not react well to polluted city air, although it grows there quite often. For 2 years of living in the city, the resinous surface of the needles is covered with dust and soot, which interferes with the photosynthesis of the plant.

Fast-growing conifers, including Scots pine, without pruning ahead of the surrounding trees and successfully dominate them in growth. Conifer pruning is performed to form and maintain the structure of the tree and increase its lifespan. Competent pruning reduces the likelihood of defects, structural deviations of the tree. In addition, the formed crown prevents the pine tree from falling as a result of the negative effects of weather conditions. Broken, dried or diseased branches are immediately removed, which prevents the spread of fungal diseases. The live branch can also be deleted. This happens in exceptional cases and is necessary to ensure that sun rays and air circulation inside the crown.

Scotch pine range

This species of conifers is widespread in Siberia and Europe. Forms pine forests on sandy or sandy soil, can be found on peaty and very rarely on clay soil. This is a widespread tree of Eurasia. It can be found from Spain and Great Britain east to the river. Aldan and R. Cupid in Siberia. In the north, the tree grows to Lapland, and in the south it is found in China and Mongolia. It forms both pure stands and together with other conifers, oak, birch and aspen. The plant is undemanding to soil conditions and very often grows in areas unsuitable for other species: sands, swamps.

The Siberian area covers an area of about 5.7 million km2. The largest pine forests are concentrated in the river basin. Angara, in the upper reaches of the Irtysh, Ob, Podkamennaya Tunguska. In the northern part of the range, the distribution of pine rises to a level of 1000 m above sea level, and in the south - up to 1500 m above sea level.

Scotch pine: application

The branches and trunk of a pine tree are pierced with resin passages, which are filled with resin, commonly called "sap". "Sap" is of great importance for the plant: it heals wounds, repels pests. Such resin is obtained by tapping. It is used to obtain rosin, turpentine. The main thing is that you can get it not only from a living tree, but also from a pine stump. The air in the pine forest ("resinous") is rich in ozone and does not contain microbes. Pine forests have long been famous for their human-friendly properties.

In medicine, kidneys are widely used, which must be collected in time. in early spring until they bloom. The kidneys contain essential oils, resins, starch, tannins and bitter substances. Pine needles contain a large amount of carotene and vitamin C. Due to the value of wood, pine forests are considered the main object of forest exploitation.

Scots pine is one of the most ancient medicinal plants. Its needles were part of poultices and compresses 5000 years ago. In ancient Egypt, pine resin was found in embalming compositions. By the way, even now, after 3000 years, these compounds have not lost their bactericidal properties. In Rome and Greece, pine needles were used to treat colds. And in Russia, to disinfect the oral cavity, strengthen teeth and gums, it was customary to chew pine resin.

Pine wood is widely used in the manufacture of furniture. It is also used in the construction of ships and wagons. Port facilities, dams and moorings are being built from it today. The pine forest was even called "ship grove" or "mast forest". And the ships are “floating pines”. Pine resin was intensively used by shipbuilders to process ropes, ships and boats. All this speaks of the high characteristics of pine wood.

However, pine plantations are also used for other purposes. So, a kind of pine root system helps to prevent soil erosion, provides an optimal level of moisture, protects cliffs and ravines from sprinkling.

As decorative culture is used extremely rarely. It is more often used in landscaping country estates, dispensaries, sanatoriums. It is planted in mixed stands, singly, in masses or in groups. They can be used in landscaping forest parks and landscape gardening areas, for planting a country road, especially on poor sandy soil. In culture, it grows in a group or singly in large parks, gardens and squares. The decorativeness of the young planting is inexpressive. Trees become highly decorative by the age of one hundred, when the trunk in its upper part begins to be covered with thin bark. orange color, which gives elegance and attractiveness to the tree. The aesthetic characteristics of individual pines are enhanced as the stand thins out. Old pines, attracting glances from afar, have a special originality. In the absence of air pollution, Scots pine has high sanitary and hygienic characteristics.

About how a pine tree grows and how it looks, about its beauty and benefits for nature and man, perhaps even those who know this majestic tree only from pictures from a school textbook on botany and reproductions of paintings by the great Russian artist I.I. Shishkin. Those who have ever visited a park with soaring pines or in a pine forest will forever remember the incomparable coniferous smell and intoxicatingly clean air. And no wonder: scientists have long determined that for 1 cu. meter of air in a pine forest accounts for only 500 (!) microbes, while in 1 cubic meter. meter of air in a metropolis contains 36 thousand (!!!) microbes. Willy-nilly, you will remember how the pine air smells ... About the same, how useful pine is, at least the fact that even within a radius of 5 km. from the pine forest the air is curative and ionized. It is not surprising that Scots pine is grown with great pleasure both in hospitals and forestries, and in gardens, and more recently it has even begun to appear in some private rural houses steppe zone.

First acquaintance with pine

Scotch pine (or Pinus sylvestris) is one of 120 species of the large genus Pine, a tree whose distribution range extends from Spain to Lapland and from the British Isles to Mongolia and China inclusive. There are at least three versions of the origin of its Latin specific name. According to the first, the word "pinus" comes from the Celtic "pin", meaning "rock", "mountain", and is roughly translated as "growing on the rocks"; the second version derives the word "pinus" from the Latin "pix" or "picis", which means "resinous tree". The third version connects this name with Greek mythology and tells us the sad story of the beautiful nymph Pitis, who, out of jealousy, the north wind Boreas, in love with her, turned into a tree that looks like a modern pine. Another version of the legend says that the nymph herself turned into a pine tree (or asked Zeus to carry out the transformation) in order to avoid the claims of Boreas. Probably even Clio, who sometimes has a very selective girlish memory, does not know how it really was, but each of the versions in its own way reflects the characteristics of a pine tree that can take root on any, even the most unfavorable soils. True, its trunk directly depends on the conditions in which the pine has to live. The picture familiar to us in the form of an erect, proudly looking up resinous tree is not the only option that can be found in nature.

The height of the pine, depending on age, ranges from 25 to 40 meters, but there are specimens reaching 42 meters in height. Unfortunately, such tall pines, which at one time received the name "ship" pines, grow only on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea and in some reserves. In many areas, the practice of cutting down young pine forests that have reached the age of 70-80 years is very common, at which they have a height of only 20-25 meters, although a tree can live up to 400-500 years and reach a height of 50, or even 70 meters. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the pine, for all its might, often suffers from various diseases, perhaps there are other reasons, but the fact remains: while pine trees of venerable age and impressive height can only be found in the depths of the taiga, in bioreserves or in those places where the foot of a forester or inspector from the nearest forestry has not yet set foot.

AT natural environment pine habitats can be found in the most unexpected places:

as an admixture in deciduous, spruce and fir forests.
in open areas, where it often takes on a sprawling appearance.
in the mountains, where it rises to the upper border of the forest to a height of 2.5 km. in the south and up to 1 km. in the north above sea level.
in steppe and forest-steppe zones alien to it as a fixer of sands and ravine slopes, preventing their spread.
as a vast homogeneous forest massif (boron).

Depending on the distribution area, scientists distinguish three varieties and about 30 ecotypes within the Scotch pine species, often named according to the area of growth. For example, pine from the Angara river basin is classified as "Angara type of Scots pine". External differences between ecotypes are insignificant, but varieties can differ significantly from each other in growth, appearance and growth rate. For example, the variety lapponica, which grows in Scandinavia and northern regions of Russia, has shorter and stiffer needles, yellowish-brown seeds, and it often looks like a creeping shrub, although specimens 30 meters high can be found on the Solovetsky Islands (Russia). The mongolica variety, which is characteristic of Mongolia, southern Siberia and northwestern China, has a more familiar appearance for us. By the way, it also owns the kind of height record we mentioned in passing: in the natural biosphere reserve Sokhondo (Chita region, Russia), a Mongolian pine grows 42 meters high. Finally, the Steven variety “climbed” above all: it can be found in the Balkans, in northern Turkey and the Caucasus at an altitude of 2600 meters above sea level.

In addition to them, there are several slow-growing dwarf varieties that attract the eye with an unusual appearance. One of them became known back in 1865 thanks to the famous English scientist-breeder Anthony Waterer, who discovered it in the vicinity of his estate Knap Hill (England), and was subsequently named after him. The nursery founded by him in this area also bears the name of the scientist.

Pine Description

Scotch pine is so unpretentious that it can be found in soil of any severity and suitability: sandy and sandy loam, rocky mountain and chalk, even in a peat bog and in permafrost conditions. True, it will look different everywhere, and a picturesquely gnarled tree growing “lonely in the wild north” or on a mountain slope is unlikely to recognize its “sister” in a one-meter dwarf huddled in a swamp. And even more so, the majestic taiga pine from the Angara river basin or the Baltic ship pine will look down on both of them. However, all these will be trees of the same species ... The pine owes such unpretentiousness, first of all, to its root system, which can adapt to any living conditions. If the soil is loose and has good drainage, and ground water do not lie very deep from the surface, the root looks like a powerful rod. Dry sands with deep waters contribute to the development of lateral roots - this is how the pine "expands", becoming sprawling. These same lateral roots allow it to survive in the mountains by anchoring the tree in rocky soil and "collecting" the falling precipitation. But the pine growing in the swamp, due to the peculiarity of the soil, has a poorly developed root system, which is why it looks like a weak dwarf even at a respectable centenary age.

Among other trees, the pine stands out not only for its unpretentiousness and the trunk, which is formed depending on the circumstances, but also for its highly raised crown, cone-shaped in youth, and then round and wide, in the form of an umbrella. Sometimes there are specimens with weeping and pyramidal types of crowns. The average length of the needles is about 5-6 cm, although it can vary depending on habitat conditions, intraspecific forms and age (in young pines, the needles are longer and can reach up to 9 cm, in old ones they are shorter). Three features remain unchanged: trihedral, acicular, and the presence of stomata on the underside, through which the tree exchanges gases with the atmosphere. The needles are arranged in bunches, each bunch has two needles. Usually they stay on the tree for two or three years, then fall off, giving way to new needles, and lie in pairs in the forest floor. The color of the needles is predominantly bluish-green.

Another notable feature of pine is cones, which are divided into two types: male and female. They are formed on separate trees, since the pine is a monoecious plant. Usually, the “sex” of a pine is “inherited”, but there are cases when, under the influence of growing conditions and the environment, it can change. That is, a pine tree that once had male cones may well change them to female cones over time.

Male cones are oblong, have a length of 8 to 12 cm and are yellow or pink in color, female ones are from 3 to 7.5 cm long, cone-shaped, grow singly or in two or three pieces, their color when ripe varies from gray to light brown to grey-green. Both types of cones are covered with near-rhomboid flat or slightly convex scales with a pointed apex, occasionally having a hooked appearance. They ripen slowly, 18-20 months after the May-June flowering and pollination - that is, in November-December - and the seeds fly out of the cone after another two to three months, in the spring. During this time, not only the formation of seeds occurs, but also the growth of the cones themselves, which can be seen by changing their color from green to light brown. Each seed is 4-5 mm in size. has a webbed wing, thanks to which it can fly a considerable distance for it. True, the survival rate of seeds is not one hundred percent, otherwise the pines would probably have reached the Cape of Good Hope and the islands of the Indonesian archipelago long ago. In a typical pine forest of one hectare, about 120 million seeds fall annually, but less than one tenth of them germinate - only about 10 million seedlings. In a century-old pine forest, on average, about 500-600 trees grow. There are many reasons for this: competition between plants, grass in the spring, lack of sunlight ... Some seedlings can simply be trampled down, and most seeds die without even getting into the soil (grasses and forest mosses often prevent this). That is, as you can see, Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection is familiar even to this seemingly mighty plant.

Pine in the yard

From the foregoing, it is easy to understand that the pine tree will fit perfectly into a country homestead or rustic-rural landscape, both as part of a group planting and as a tapeworm. The benefits of such a "garden dweller" can hardly be overestimated: in addition to the fact that it will purify the air and make it incredibly intoxicating and healing, the pine is also just a beautiful tree that grows relatively quickly, especially at the age of 10 to 40 years, retains its decorative effect a whole year and under favorable conditions it is able to please the eye even of your distant descendants. If you live near a pine forest, then there is a high probability that one day a young pine seedling will spontaneously appear behind your fence in the form of a weed. Such an appearance can truly be considered a gift of fate, and it should be treated appropriately, and not like a weed. You can try to plant a pine tree yourself, even if you are a resident of the steppe zone: the probability of success for this event is very high. However, before planting a pine, you should consider some of the nuances:

the thickness of its trunk can reach from 1 to 1.2 meters, and the older the pine tree becomes, the taller and more voluminous it will be. Therefore, there should be enough space in your garden for the pine tree to feel cozy.
for all its unpretentiousness, it is light-loving and does not tolerate shading. This can be seen even in natural conditions: if you have been in a pine forest, you probably noticed that the pine trees growing there are the same in height. This is the result of the features we mentioned. That is, a place for it must be chosen open and sunny. An exception is made for young animals: in the first years of life, it is recommended to shade it from the bright spring sun. In the same forest, young plants are given the necessary shade by their older comrades.
if you want to plant several pines, then the distance between them should be at least four meters, and between undersized ones - at least one and a half.

How to plant a pine

Planting and caring for pine trees are not particularly difficult. Somewhat more complex and nuanced, as with other trees or plants, is the preparation for planting. It is believed that it is best to plant a pine tree in the middle of spring, when the soil warms up enough, or in early autumn. The first option is good because it allows her to take root in a new place over the summer, get comfortable and prepare for winter, which always comes suddenly; in the second case, the tree slows down all life processes and thus is able to relatively calmly endure such dramatic changes in its life. You can also find references to later plantings of pine, but in this case, the seedling should be insulated and protected from excessive activity of the spring sun, covered with spruce branches, spunbond or any other covering material. You can remove the protection in the spring.

Get it planting material possible in three ways:

grown from seeds (a separate section will be devoted to this).
purchased from a nursery.
dug into wild nature.

The most reliable way is to purchase in a nursery: you will not only be sold a seedling of the required age and with intact roots, but they will also give you a whole lecture on how to plant a pine tree on the site. True, this method has a couple of disadvantages. Firstly, there are cases when a pine already infected with some insidious disease or pests enters the nursery. But, as they say, “to be afraid of diseases - do not buy pines”, especially since this risk is insignificant, and we mention it only just in case. In addition, when buying, there is always the opportunity to inspect the seedling offered to you and check it for brittleness. If the needles are yellow, and the tips of the branches break easily, it is very likely that the seedling is sick and will die soon.

Secondly (and, probably, “in the most offensive ones”), in your region there simply may not be the right nursery. In this case, you can try to purchase a pine tree via the Internet with home delivery, or go to the nursery yourself, even if it is far away. True, it can be expensive, but if you have such an opportunity, then why not try?

Finally, the freest option is to dig the pine tree yourself. Not all experts advise resorting to this method, explaining their attitude by the fact that digging a seedling should be done very carefully so as not to damage the root system. In addition, in their opinion, pine trees transplanted in this way rarely take root and often die the next year. Opinions on this subject can be found very different, but if you still decide to try to get a pine tree yourself, a few tips on this subject will certainly be useful.

It is best to choose a tree that will die if not replanted. This does not mean that it should be infected with something: a pine can die as a result of “natural selection”, which we wrote about above, and growing up in an unfavorable place for it (yes, there are such - for example, steep hillsides, on which the pine in the process of growth may simply not be able to hold on). Pine trees are doomed to death in places of active human activity. Replanting such trees can give them a chance to save themselves, and you can contribute to the preservation of the atmosphere of the whole planet.

Having obtained a pine, you should look for a place for it, prepare a hole, and only then carry out a landing. The planting hole in size should correspond to the size and shape of the coma of the earth with which the tree will be transplanted. The logic is simple: the larger the lump, the less damage the seedling will receive. For example, for pines up to 70 cm high, you need a pit with dimensions of at least 60x60, and more than 70 cm - at least 80x80. The depth also depends on the height of the plant, but some experts recommend digging a hole 10 cm higher than the height of the seedling. As for the size of the coma, it is even easier here. It is believed that all conifers live in symbiosis with soil fungi and form mycorrhiza - a kind of fungal root. Therefore, the more native land will move with the pine to a new location, the better.

It is necessary to dig out a pine tree carefully, remembering that it mainly has a tap root, and trying not to cut or damage it. When digging, you can use a large wet piece of cloth. Prying and lifting an earthen ball with a pine, you should slip the fabric under the shovel, straighten it, lower the lump from the shovel onto it and wrap the fabric tightly around the lump. You can also use a thin cotton sheet, with which you can plant a seedling in a planting hole. The sheet will quickly rot and will not interfere with the development of the root system. Sometimes it is advised to pay attention to the so-called. "south branch" - that is, remember or mark the branch that faces south. When planting a seedling in the yard, it is desirable that it also be oriented to the south. Although many gardeners admitted that they lost these marks and planted pines without taking them into account, the result was the same.

In no case should you plant a pine tree in garden soil. No matter how unpretentious it is, pine does not like soil rich in organic matter. The best soils for her - light breathable sandy or sandy loam. If you can offer the pine loam or clay soil, it is imperative to make good drainage by adding a layer of sand or expanded clay with fine gravel and broken bricks 20 cm thick to the planting pit. Sometimes 50 gr are added there. nitrophoska. Depending on the area where you are planting pine, you can add a mixture of soddy soil, topsoil and river sand or clay in a ratio of 2:2:1. Also, you can not transplant a pine tree with bare roots, otherwise the root system will die in ten to fifteen minutes.

When planting, you should carefully water the hole (usually half a bucket of water is enough), then lower the seedling there and, if necessary, adjust its size by adding or sampling the earth. Sometimes pit voids are filled with a sand-earth mixture. After that, the poured earth is moderately trampled to avoid the formation of air cavities around the roots, however, the soil should not be excessively dense. A tree should be planted so that the root neck is at ground level, and in a large specimen it is even slightly raised, otherwise it will rot and the pine tree will die. A seedling planted in this way should be mulched and then watered again, this time using a watering can with a nozzle so as not to erode the soil.

Sometimes you can meet the question: is it necessary to apply fertilizer when planting a pine tree? It all depends on what kind of soil it is planted in. It is known from practice that sometimes pure sand taken from a pine forest and mixed with fertile soil is used as a fertilizer. You can purchase a special fertilizer for coniferous plants or use mature compost. If the soil in which you plant a pine has not been previously used, then it will have enough of its own. minerals so you don't need to apply fertilizer.

After you have done all these steps, all that remains is to be patient and wait, watering the pine tree about once a week early in the morning or after sunset until it begins to grow branches. After that, watering can be reduced.

Caring for a young pine tree is no different from caring for any other transplanted tree. From time to time, you should mulch it, remove diseased and dried branches, weed out around the seedling large grass, water in too dry periods or in the fall, after leaf fall. The need for watering is easy to determine by taking a handful of earth from the trunk circle and squeezing it in a fist. If it is loose and crumbles at the slightest squeeze, then it's time to water.

If you planted a pine tree in the fall, it should be insulated for the winter using one of the above methods, and in the spring it should be protected from the sun by spraying twice with epin with an interval of two to three weeks.

Unusual transfer method

Despite the fact that experts recommend planting pines in the spring, one can come across the assertion that conifers cannot be replanted in the spring, since they begin to grow very quickly, and the soil in a number of regions of Russia is still frozen or not warm enough by this time. For this case, another way is proposed - folk:

choose a suitable tree for transplanting.
to a depth of one bayonet of a shovel, cut the soil around the trunk in the form of a circle with a diameter ten times greater than the diameter of the tree trunk.
mark the pine in any safe and not very noticeable way and leave it until the fall.

More than a hundred names of trees that make up the genus of pines are distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, some species of pine can be found in the mountains a little further south and even in the tropical zone. They are evergreen monoecious conifers with needle-like leaves.

The division is mainly based on the territorial affiliation of the range, although many types of pine plants are artificially bred and, as a rule, are named after the breeder.

General description of the genus pine

The appearance of a pine can be different: most often these are trees, and sometimes creeping shrubs. The shape of the crown changes with age from pyramidal to spherical or umbrella-shaped. This is due to the death of the lower branches and the rapid growth of the branches in breadth.

The shoots on which the needles are collected are normal, shortened or elongated. The needles, collected in bunches, are flat or triangular, narrow and long, do not fall off within 3-6 years. Small scales are located around the base. The fruits are cones, inside which seeds develop (with and without wings).

In general, various types of pine are not too whimsical, drought-resistant, frost-resistant and do not require Plants prefer dry sandy and stony soils, although in this matter the Weymouth, Wallich, resinous and cedar pines are exceptions, which willingly grow with moderate moisture. Limestone soil is suitable for mountain pine. Now let's take a closer look at some of the varieties of this culture.

Scotch pine

This is perhaps the most common coniferous tree in Eurasia, which can be called a symbol of the Russian forest. The species is light-requiring, it feels normal both in the harsh northern climate and in the heat of the steppe. It hardly tolerates urban conditions, but it is the main crop for creating forests on sandy soil. In landscape design, Scotch pine is in demand for its variety of decorative forms and rapid growth.

The tree can grow up to 40 meters. The bark is cracked, red-brown, in a young plant it is thin, slightly orange. The needles are bluish in color, double, hard, even or curved, 4-6 centimeters long. The maximum age of a tree under favorable conditions is 400-600 years.

There are many artificially bred undersized and dwarf varieties of Scots pine. In the territory of the range, it occurs in a variety of forms and easily interbreeds with species such as black and mountain pine. Depending on the area of growth, about 30 ecological forms - ecotypes - are also distinguished.

Siberian cedar pine

Other types of pines are also popular. In Russia, one of the most valuable forest tree species is Siberian cedar pine - a powerful tree with a rich multi-peaked ovoid crown. The needles are short (6-13 cm), rough. It is frost-resistant, grows near the permafrost zone, in the taiga zone. The seeds of the large cones are edible and rich in fatty oils. In height reaches 3 meters.

Siberian cedar pine

Distributed in Western Siberia and Far East. Cedar dwarf pine has a bushy shape, grows densely and has the ability to take root with branches lowered to the ground. It is an ornamental variety due to its beautiful bluish-green needles, bright red male spikelets and spectacular red-violet buds.

Weymouth pine

Very beautiful and tall pine tree.

Varieties and species of North American conifers are of great economic importance. Weymouth pine is characterized by thin, soft and long bluish-green needles. The cones have a curved elongated shape. Excellent withstand very coldy, but for all its unpretentiousness, it is not suitable for landscaping the city.

Weymouth mountain pine

Some well-known species of pine grow in the Crimea, for example, the Veymouth pine. This is a very beautiful North American variety, which differs from the previous shortened blue-green needles and large, somewhat curved buds. The height of an adult tree is about 30 meters, the crown is narrow, with characteristic reddish pubescence on young shoots. This is a heat-loving tree, although it is difficult to tolerate drought. It grows mainly in those mountainous areas that are protected from sea winds.

Pine Pallas (Crimean pine)

Another species widespread on the Crimean peninsula. Pallas pine is a tall tree, about 20 meters. The bark is reddish-black, speckled with cracks. The crown is dense, changing shape from ovoid to umbrella-shaped. Differs in horizontally spread branches with the ends bent up and large cones. The Crimean pine is photophilous, undemanding to the soil, easily transfers a lack of moisture. It also grows in the Caucasus, Crete, the Balkans, and Asia Minor.

Pine Armand

Ornamental Chinese species with characteristic long and thin needles, edible oil seeds. It grows exclusively in warm southern regions.

Banks Pine

Differs in a multi-stemmed structure, imported from North America. The light green needles are quite short and twisted, the cones are curved. Grows up to 25 meters in height. frost resistant, unpretentious appearance suitable for any soil. Bred only in botanical gardens.

Geldreich's pine

This species is common in the Balkans and southern Italy. It is characterized by spectacular long needles of pale green color. Like many other types of pines, the photos of which are presented in the material, it is very unpretentious, moreover, it easily tolerates urban conditions. Weakness - insufficiently winter-hardy for the middle zone, therefore it is ideal for the southern regions.

mountain pine

Very attractive and mountain pine. Pine species are scattered throughout the Northern Hemisphere. This species grows in the mountains of Central and Southern Europe. It is a large branched tree or a prostrate dwarf. Of particular interest for landscape design are a variety of compact ornamental trees, from which they create beautiful compositions along the banks of reservoirs, in rocky gardens, etc. The maximum height is 10 meters, and the minimum is 40 centimeters.

Pine densely flowered

One of the winter-hardy species grown in central Russia is the so-called red Japanese pine. The main condition for its good growth is not too long freezing of the soil. The needles are long and crowded at the end of the branch; during dusting, the tree exudes aroma. Does not accept urban conditions, grows on poor sandy soils.

Small-flowered pine, or white pine

Japanese species of ornamental pines are represented by small-flowered (white) pine, which received its second name for the spectacular white or bluish stripes on the needles, pronounced due to twisting. It is not winter-hardy, only a short dwarf variety grows in it. Since the tree loves warmth and good lighting, the climate of the Black Sea coast is excellent for it.

Pine yellow

A luxurious view with a narrow, pyramidal, openwork crown grows naturally in North America. It has long needles and a beautiful thick bark. It takes root in the southern regions and central Russia, but freezes in especially cold winters. The height of the tree reaches 10 meters. Prefers places protected from the winds, so it is best to plant in groups. Pine yellow is not susceptible to urban harmful conditions.

European cedar pine

The European type of cedar pine is similar to the Siberian "relative". The difference lies in the smaller size, denser spreading crown and long thin needles. In addition, the cones and seeds of the tree are not so large. Grows slower but lives longer. It will look perfect in single and group landscape gardening plantings.

Korean cedar pine

Quite a rare decorative species growing in the Far East, in East Asia, Korea, Japan. In beauty, this coniferous tree can be compared with the Siberian cedar pine, although the crown of the “Korean woman” is less dense, pubescent with bluish-green needles and decorated with decorative cones. The nut seeds are also edible. The culture tolerates frosts in central Russia relatively normally, grows as a stunted tree, although in the wild its height can reach 40-50 meters.

Pine of Montezuma

The owner of very long needles, in natural conditions is found in the west of North America and Guatemala.

The tree grows up to 30 meters tall and has a spreading spherical crown. Huge conical cones can reach a length of 25 cm. It prefers a warm and humid climate, so it takes root well in the Crimea. Not susceptible to diseases and pests.

spiny pine

Many ornamental pine species, including spiny pine, grow well and bear fruit in the conditions of central Russia. This North American species is quite rare and is a small tree or bush with raised branches that form a lush spreading crown. The needles are thick, and the cones have long spines. All varieties are unpretentious and winter-hardy.

Rumelian pine

A variety of Balkan pine has a low pyramidal crown, thick green needles 5-10 centimeters long and cylindrical hanging cones on legs. Young shoots are bare. The bark is brown, flaky. Rumelian pine grows quickly and does not have special requirements for lighting and soils. Used in decorative design parks.

Pine twisted (broad coniferous)

It grows in North America and, due to its good winter hardiness, is bred in central Russia. Culture extends to large areas along the Pacific coast. The name is given for the twin twisted needles. It can be a shrub or a tall (up to 50 meters) tree, the lower branches of which are lowered, and the upper ones are either sprawling or directed upwards. The culture grows quite slowly, but it is unpretentious to the living conditions not only in nature, but even in the city.

Thunberg pine

A rare decorative species from Japan, which is also called black pine. The main habitat is alpine forests, about 1000 meters above sea level. it evergreen tree grows up to 40 meters in height. The crown is usually irregular in shape, light green in color, with long stiff needles (8-14 cm x 2 mm). The bark is black and the young shoots are orange and glabrous. The cones of the Thunberg pine are almost flat, and the gray seeds are winged. A heat-loving and moisture-loving culture that grows well in Sochi in our country.

Himalayan pine (Wallycha or Wallich)

Luxurious long-leaved pine came from the Himalayas and from the Tibetan mountains. It grows quickly, does not tolerate frosts too well, it is moisture-loving. The ideal place for culture with us is the Crimea, where it bears excellent fruit. The tree in nature reaches a height of 30-50 meters. Beautiful 18 cm gray-green needles hang down. Decorative yellow cones are also long - about 32 centimeters. The species is cultivated for group landscape plantings.

Black pine

Many decorative species of pines are wild, including those that came to us from the mountainous regions of Central Europe. This breed is very resistant to urban conditions. The name was given for the very dark bark and dense green needles that grow profusely. This creates shady areas, unlike Scots pine. In Russia, it is more suitable for the steppe part of the North Caucasus, although undersized decorative forms can be bred further north.

What are pine cones?

Different species differ in their shapes, sizes and colors. But all of them are soft, yellow-green at the beginning of life, and as they grow older, they become stiff and change color from dark green to brown.

The largest in size are the cones of American Lambert pines - 50 centimeters long, Coulter - reach 40 centimeters, as well as Cilician fir, growing about 30 centimeters long. The smallest cones, barely reaching 3 centimeters, have Lyell's larch and Japanese pseudo-hemlock.

In general, the genus of pine trees is characterized by rapid development and growth. The exceptions are those species that have to survive in difficult climatic conditions: high in the mountains, in swamps, on mean stony soil, in the North. In these cases, mighty trees are reborn into stunted and dwarf varieties. However, they are of great interest for decorating landscape plantings.

A representative of the Pine family, which retains its viability for 100-600 years and reaches a height of 35-75 meters. She is not afraid of frost, snow, wind, drought. The tree loves sunlight and reacts sensitively to pollution in the air, and due to healing properties used in the manufacture of medicines. There is a huge variety of varieties and types of pines. All existing types of pines are usually classified according to the main characteristic of the description - the number of beam needles:

a group of two-coniferous (scotch pine, seaside and similar);
three-coniferous (such as Bunge);
five-needle (Weymouth, Siberian, Japanese and others having a similar structure of a coniferous bunch).

The world knows more than 100 pine varieties.

ordinary

Scotch pine (lat. Pinus sylvestris) is a common species that grows in Asian and European latitudes. The highest of this species are found near the Baltic Sea (southern part of the coast). They reach 40-50 m in height. The straight trunk is covered with a bluish-brown bark of an enviable thickness, strewn with cuts. Upper layer trunk and branches - thin bark with a characteristic red-orange color, prone to peeling.

Did you know? The pine tree has powerful antiseptic properties. Only 500 microbes per 1 cu. m of air in a forest, while in a huge city - 36 thousand m.

Pointed, whose length is 8 cm, the trees of this species have a blue-green color and are characterized by rigidity. It serves as a decoration for 2-7 years. The 7cm long ovoid buds are filled with black and gray seeds.

At a young age, the tree is distinguished by a cone-shaped crown, which expands and rounds over time. The flowering period is May - June. This species has a fairly wide assortment (Globosa Viridis, Repanda, etc.) and is famous for its strength and high degree of resinity.

Mountain

Mountain pine (lat. Pinus mugo) mainly occupies the south and center of Europe. The tree has a pin-shaped or creeping multi-stemmed crown, singly growing cones, as well as curved needles with a dark green color.

The wood of a mountain dweller serves as a production raw material for carpentry and turning products, resin - for the manufacture of cosmetics and medicines. This species is famous for its many varieties intended for decorating landscapes (Mugus, Carstens, Pug, Hesse, etc.).

Siberian

Siberian pine, or Siberian (lat. Pinus sibirica), lives in the taiga in East and West Siberia. The standard height of representatives of the species is 20-25 m, but there are also 40-meter trees.

They have thick branches and a multi-tipped cone-shaped crown of soft dark green needles (14 cm long).

The trunk is gray-brown in color. The cones of the Siberian beauty are hidden (seeds) under their scales.

Black

Austrian black pine (lat. Pinus nigra) is a representative of shady evergreens from the North of the Mediterranean, whose height reaches 20-55 m. Young trees are distinguished by the presence of a cone-shaped crown, while adults have an umbrella-shaped one.

Dark green needles with a gray tint are characterized by rigidity and brilliance, and sometimes dullness. This species is famous for its black bark, covered with deep furrows.

The verbal description and photo does not convey all the beauty and majesty. Shiny buds and straight needles are a wonderful addition to any garden design. The most popular varieties of the species include Pierik Bregon, Piramidalis, Austriaca, Bambino.

Balkan (Rumelian)

Balkan pine (lat. Pinus peuce) - a resident of the mountainous areas of the Balkan Peninsula. fast growing species unpretentious to habitat conditions. Trees grow up to 20 meters high. Rumelian representatives create forests of pure or mixed types at 700-2300 m above sea level.

The tree is characterized by a grayish-green enviable density, forming a cone-shaped crown. In the early age period, there are no cracks on the brown with a gray tint of the bark of the tree, but every year it acquires a lamellar shape and changes color to red-brown.

Himalayan

Himalayan pine, or Wallich (lat. Pinus wallichiana), lives on the slopes of Annapurna (South), in the Himalayas, at a level of 1.8-3.76 km above the sea. This tree grows 30-50 m up.

The tree is characterized by the presence of a pyramid-shaped crown of gray-green needles and long cones. Popular varieties of the Himalayan species: Densa Hill, Nana, Glauca, Vernisson, Zebrina.

Weymouth

Weymouth pine, or white eastern (lat. Pinus strobus), is common in the northeastern part of North America and southeastern Canada. The tree is very close to ideal because of its straight trunk with a 67-meter growth threshold. Its diameter ranges from 1.3 to 1.8 m.

Important! Weymouth pine begins to bloom only at the age of 10 years.

The crown of representatives of this pine species at an early age is characterized by the presence of a conical shape and straight needles 10 cm long. Over time, it acquires an irregularly rounded shape. The bark has a purple tint.

This type finds its application in construction. Such varieties as Aurea, Blue Shag, Brevifolia, Сontorta, Densa are very popular.

virginskaya

Virginian pine (lat. Pinus virginiana) is a fast-growing inhabitant of the eastern latitudes of North America. Its height is from 10 to 18 m. The crown has an irregularly rounded shape. The bark with a scaly-striated relief has a gray-brown color, which acquires a reddish tint towards the top of the tree.

The tree is characterized by the presence of stiff straight yellowish-green needles and egg-shaped cones. Reddish-brown buds may be dry or completely resinous. Virginia pines prefer cozy and sunny places, a lot of warmth and fertile.

Important! The huge urban area is not suitable for growing pine plantations due to excessively polluted air.

Often this species is used to decorate garden and park areas. It goes well with other trees (, and others).

Korean cedar

Korean cedar pine (lat. Pinus koraiensis), called Korean cedar, has the main difference from other species - harmony. Its height does not cross the 40-meter line.

With its width, the lowered crown slightly resembles the Siberian view, but at the same time it differs in delicacy.

The bluish-green needles of the branches reach 20 cm in length. The tree is characterized by the presence of elongated cones with scales curved at the ends. This is one of the pine species that can survive in the city. Popular varieties include Variegata, Glauka, Vinton.

Cedar dwarf

Elfin pine, or elfin cedar (lat. Pinus pumila), is a common species in the territory from Primorsk to Kamchatka and in the North. Bushy trees grow up to only 4-5 m. The crown is quite spreading and may differ in shape for each individual variety: tree-like, creeping or bowl-shaped.

The needles of the cedar elfin have a bluish-green color. Pine cones, with their ovoid-elongated shape, do not belong to large fruits. Seeds are presented in the form of nuts. The varietal spectrum of Siberian dwarf pine is quite extensive: Blue Dwarf, Globe, Jeddeloh, Nana and others.

densely flowered

Dense-flowered pine, or red Japanese (lat. Pinus densiflora), is limited to a 30-meter height. The tree is more common in rocky terrain (such as the slopes of China, Japan, and Korea).

The curvature of the trunk is its characteristic feature. The bark of young branches of the tree has a reddish tint, while the old ones have an inconspicuous gray. The crown is dense. It is quite flattened and rounded.

Hooked

Hook pine (lat. Pinus uncinata) is grown exclusively for decorating landscapes. Its needles are a reduced copy of Scotch pine needles. At the same time, the size of the cone exceeds the size of the needles.

As a rule, trees of this type are planted in groups or arrays, but a single variant is also not uncommon.

Crimean

Crimean pine, or Palassa (lat. Pinus pallasiana), is one of the tall (about 45 m in height) species that live in the Crimea and the Caucasus. Despite the fact that it is included in the Red Book, there are often cases of using this tree as a building material.

The Crimean resident belongs to the long-lived plantations, as it retains its viability for almost 600 years.

Did you know? The Methuselah pine is the oldest in the world. She is already about 4845 years old. Her place of residence is the California National Wildlife Refuge.

The tree is characterized by a pyramid-shaped (early period of life) and umbrella-shaped (old age) crown shape, 12-centimeter prickly needles and a sheen of oblong cones. The top of the trunk of a dark brown shade is covered with deep furrows.

Representatives of the Crimean species also have decorative properties.

Sosnovsky

Sosnovsky's pine (lat. Pinus sosnowskyi) grows in the mountains of the Crimea, the Caucasus, Iran and Turkey. She is the owner of cones with hook-shaped scales.